Several types of garments such as sweatpants and pajama bottoms use drawstrings to secure the garment to the wearer. Aprons frequently use fabric ties (apron strings). Shoes and sneakers commonly use laces. In all such cases, knots and/or bows are commonly used to secure the free ends of the tying members.
The prior art of Cox (USPTO published application US 2012/0284976) pertains to a shoe lace apparatus and locking mechanism. A rigid disk with a central hole and locking slit directly connecting the hole to the periphery of the disk is used to secure or lock the shoe laces within the hole of the disk. The laces are pinched by the disk at one point and the friction is used for the locking action.
Cox teaches that the lace is inserted all the way through the slit until the slit is tightened by the hole or gripping and/or locking holes in the center or central area of the disk. However, Cox does not teach the use of partially extending slits separated from the central hole. Cox is concerned with using the slit to gain access to the central hole or holes, not to provide a surface area against which to bend the draw string or lace while the draw string or lace is bent over the surface between the central hole and the partially extending slit.
Thus, Cox teaches full access must be provided through the slit to access the central hole or holes, within which the drawstring or lace is tightened.
To that end, Cox does not provide for tightening the draw string or lace through one or more central holes, then bending a draw string or lace over a surface of the disk separating the inner end of a slit and the central hole or holes, and then again bending each draw string or lace again through the slit for further retightening in place in the disk.